Chip manufacturer, ARM has announced the Mali-JSR297 software for 3D graphics, the first product to enable developers of Java applications for mobile phones to take advantage of the latest hardware graphics features found in OpenGL ES 2.0 graphics processing units (GPUs). Ericsson Mobile Platforms are the lead Partner for the Mali-JSR297 software.
"The expectations of the gaming community continue to increase, which is driving demand for device manufacturers to deliver the next wave of user experience in mobile gaming. The Mali-JSR297 software will provide game developers with the resources they need to bridge the graphics divide among various gaming platforms," said Dr. Jon Peddie, president of Jon Peddie Research, a leading multimedia and graphics market research firm. "Historically, graphics quality on mobile phones has lagged in comparison to those displayed on a gaming console or computer screens. The software and hardware products that ARM is now offering mean that mobile graphics will now quickly approach the quality of a dedicated games device."
In order for Java applications to make use of the graphics hardware, handset manufacturers require an efficient software engine that minimizes the number of calculations that Java games need to perform in order to display the graphics.
The new features in the Mali-JSR297 software reside beneath the gaming applications that users download to their phones and open up the full power of OpenGL ES 2.0, the API used in leading games consoles such as the Sony PlayStation 3 and which is supported by the Mali200 GPU.
"One of the biggest challenges facing game developers today is the lack of tools that allow programmers to capitalize on the most powerful graphics hardware in mobile phones," said David Brittain, vice president of technology, Superscape. "ARM's graphics portfolio provides optimal compatibility and enables us to speed time-to-market with the games we develop."
"The majority of today's mobile phones are using Java technology to enable additional applications and games to be downloaded to the phone after it is sold. ARM is committed to providing solutions for the gaming community that deliver dramatic improvements in the quality of graphics displayed on these applications," said Gareth Vaughan, graphics product manager, ARM. "ARM's support for the Java community and graphics ecosystem with products such as the Mali-JSR297 software enables game developers to harness new hardware capabilities, producing 3D graphics that are markedly superior in quality and performance."
The ARM Mali-JSR297 software will be released immediately following ratification of the JSR297 standard, with pre-release versions available from ARM in Q3 2008.
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